What is Neuromorphic Engineering?
Speaker: Ms Tara Hamilton, University of Sydney
When: 2008-06-12 11:30:00
Venue: 78-622
Host: p.sutton@itee.uq.edu.au
Abstract:Neuromorphic engineering is a relatively new area of research that
combines analogue and digital integrated circuit design with modelling
neural systems. Neuromorphic engineering began in the mid-1980s when
VLSI (Very-Large Scale Integration) pioneer, Carver Mead, had a
conversation with Nobel prize winner, Max Delbrück, about neurobiology.
From this came a realisation about the similarities between the
fundamental building block of neural systems, the neuron, and the
fundamental building block of VLSI systems, the transistor. Since this
time there have been a number of neural systems which have been modelled
in silicon including the retina, cortex and the cochlea. As an example
of neuromorphic engineering the evolution of the silicon cochlea and
some of the outcomes of this research will be discussed.
Biography:Tara Julia Hamilton is a lecturer and researcher at the University of
Sydney in the Computing and Auditory Research Group (CARlab). She has
recently submitted her Ph.D. titled Analogue and VLSI Implementations of
Two Dimensional, Nonlinear, Active Cochlea Models and holds a Masters of
Engineering Science in Biomedical Engineering (UNSW), a Bachelor of
Engineering (Hons I Electrical) and a Bachelor of Commerce (both from
USYD). Prior to undertaking Ph.D. research Tara was an analogue
integrated circuit design engineer at Cochlear Ltd. for 4 years and,
prior to this, an Energy Australia Scholar for 5 years.
Tara's research interests include analogue integrated circuit design,
neuromorphic engineering, biomedical engineering, and low-power
electronics. She currently teaches 3rd year Electronic Circuit Design
and 4th year/postgraduate Digital IC Design.
Type: ITEE Seminar
Contact:p.sutton@itee.uq.edu.au, seminar host (p.sutton@itee.uq.edu.au)
or Guido Governatori (ITEE seminar co-ordinator)
(guido@itee.uq.edu.au)